The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-18
70 Hon. l.. s. Ross, Governor of Texas

TO Hon. l.. :. Ross, Governor of Texas
If one may be allowed, without
speaking evil of dignities, or bringing
reproach upon the ruler of the people
TO review your open letter to Mr..
Gibbs, it would seem appropriate to
do so now.
While the individuality OF the gov
ernor is never lost in official position,
vet the official position makes you the
governor of prohibitionists, as well as
OF anti-prohibitionists.
What private man speaks carries
only the weight OF It's intrinsic worth.
But what high official utters carries
all the weight borrowed from the dig
nifty and sanctity of the office.
Because ofyour official relation to
all the people, and becasse your pri-
waite views on the pending amendment
were already known to all men some
ofyour friends have thought it I'M
seemly for you to throw the weight
of your official position against this
amendment which the publication of
your letter most certainly does. Its
influence upon the public mind will
not stop at its intrinsic, individual
worth, but will be more mighty as
coming from the governor OF Texas
than from l.. S. Ross. In precisely this
direction the opponents of the amend
ment are using it for all the word gov
ernor is worth.
In these days of civil service reform,
the idea gains ground among the peo-
pie that il is not wise to use official
position, the heritage of all the people,
to carry measures that are favored by
only part of the people This idea is
stronger where the office is higher.
Moreover the odds against the proli-
bitionists were already appalling-not
indeed as TO unbiased popular judg-
ment, but in the awful power of the
liquor traflic-its terrible organization
and its unlimited control OF money.
IL is reported that even Ex-Governor
Roberts thought it not wise, on ac-
count of his relation to the State Uni
versity to use that official position
against the amendment.
But while thousands of your friends
grieve that you have thought it nee
essary to write this letter, wa will let
that pass. You have written il, and
what you have written, you have writ
ten.
You have lent to the whisky inter-
ests all tie power Oft the gubernatorial
name. IL has made you solid with
them. Your letter will be used as
their chief campaign document. They
will trade largely upon the governors
name. And now that is done, what re-
mains to us? If we reply to 1t ever so
respectfully il will be alleged that we
are trying to damage your administra-
ton and hedge against you for a sec
ond term. No matter how carefully
your letter is reviewed, it will amount
to the same. The cry will be raised
that we are trying TO kill off Ross, sciz-
ing thereby upon another catch-penny
phrase, to mislead the people. 1t may
be that you have some enemies. 1t is
hoped they will be silent as to your
course. But this letter is from your
friend. One who has been such for
long years. One who labored hard
both for your nomination and election,
and who reioiced in the privilege OF
voting for you. But since you have
elected to enter this controversy ii is
held that your utterances become as
much the legitimate subject OF criti-
cism as any other mans Because 1t is
not right to speak evil Of dignitics. to
bring any railing accusation against
them or 10 rcproach the ruler Of the
people, this reply will, at present. ig-
more the governor aud consider your
letter only from the standpoint OF
a campaign document, circulated by
the liquor men. AS such document
considered as an iInpersonal and an
onymous, communication, you will eX'
cuse me for saying that IL would not
attain much circulation. | mean to say
that if il had been picked up in the
road, undated and unsigned, but little
money would have been wasted in its
circulation. Placed side by side in
this respect with Herrick Johnson's
reply TO Howard Crosby, In which the
right ground, object and motive oil
prohibition are exhibited. your docu-
ment would suffer much by the juxta-
position.
That paper Of Johnson's, uudated
and unsigned, might have been
waited TO Texas shores by random
winds or waves and left disc0lorcd on
lonely beach; but the first man that
read Il. whether untutored or cultur-
ed. would have said ; This must not
perish IL must be published: the poo